Allure Of The Seas

Overall Rating

ANTHONY

Age: 42

Occupation:MOTORCOACH OPERATOR

Number of Cruises: 5

Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean

Ship: Allure Of The Seas

Sailing Date: 2011-02-27

Itinerary: WESTERN CARRIBEAN

MY OVERALL CRUISE EXPERIENCE WAS A GREAT ONE I'VE DONE 4 CARNIVAL AND HAD SO MUCH FUN BUT THIS WAS MY BEST CRUISE YET IT HAS SOME QUIRKS BUT NOTHING YOU CANT GET PAST JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND YOU TO WILL HAVE A GREAT CRUISE ! I LOVE THE SHORT RIDE FROM THE AIRPORT 10 MINUTES AND TAXI WAS 15 DOLLARS FOR 2 PEOPLE NOT BAD THOUGH I THINK THE CAB DRIVER WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR NASCAR LOL! HAVE I.D. READY ALSO AS YOU HAVE TO PASS THROUGH A SECURE CHECKPOINT BEING NEAR A REFINERY ALSO CHECK IN WAS FLAWLESS 10 MINUTES ALSO DUE TO THE 24 GATES WHICH ARE SETUP BY THE FLOORS OF THE SHIP WHICH HELPS TRAFFIC FLOW THE SHIP ITSELF IS A BEAST BUT IT IS REAL GRACEFUL DIDNT NOTICE ANY MOVEMENT IN CHOPPY WATERS JUST REAL SMOOTH AND POWERFUL NOTICE THE WAKE THAT IT LEAVES BEHIND ON THE WAY OUT OF FT LAUDERDALE AND WATCH THE PEOPLE CLEAR THE BEACHES

THE FOOD WAS GOOD BUT THIS IS ALSO WHERE THE QUIRKS BEGIN SORRENTOS WHICH YOU'LL SEE WHEN YOU FIRST BOARD AND YOU THINK PIZZA BUT BEING FROM CHICAGO WHERE PIZZA IS KING IS MORE COMPARED TO DOMINOS OR PIZZA HUT THERE ISNT MUCH THOUGHT PUT INTO JUST SOMETHING TO FEED YOU.THE WIND JAMMER (FREE BUFFET STYLE) IS OVERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST IT IS FOREVER CROWDED SO YOU HAVE TO USE A LITTLE STRATEGY HERE THE ROOM IS ON A CURVE OR JUST THINK OF THE LETTER C SO YOU CAN NEVER SEE HOW FULL THE PLACE IS UNTIL YOU VENTURE ALL THE WAY THROUGH SO YOU HAVE TO TO SEND ONE PERSON TO FIND AND HOLD SEATS AND THE OTHER TO START THE FOOD LINE PROCESS (NOTE*WATCH THE YOUNGER CROWDS THEY TEND TO EAT AND RUN WHERE AS THE OLDER CROWDS TEND TO STAY AND CHAT ALOT) ANOTHER TIP IS TO LOOK AT THE BIG TOUCHSCREENS WHEN YOU GET AROUND THE ELEVATOR YOU CAN CHECK THE CAPACITY OF THE FOOD VENUES AND YOU WILL WILL SEE WINDJAMMER IS ALMOST MAXED OUT AT ALL TIMES AND THATS BECAUSE IT HAS THE MOST VARIETY THE OTHER PLACES LIKE WIPEOUT (FREE) OFFERS BURGERS DAWG HOUSE (FREE) BRATS AND SAUSAGE GOOD BY THE WAY SO USE THE BOARD TO THE ADVANTAGE JOHNNY ROCKETS WHICH DOES FREE BREAKFAST BUT FOR A FEE LUNCH (5) IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE ALBEIT LONGER THAN USUAL WAIT TIMES FOR FOOD BUT IF YOU DO LUNCH HERE KEEP A CAMERA HANDY THE CREW COMES OUT TO THE HUSTLE ON A DONNA SUMMER SONG WHICH IS PRETTY COOL DIDNT TRY RITAS (8 DOLLARS) JUST COULDN'T SEE ALWAYS PAYING ALL THE TIME LIKE CUPCAKES (2.50) BUT DONUTS ARE FREE THE DINNER SEGMENT LEFT A LITTLE TO BE DESIRED AS WELL, THE SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT BUT THE SELECTION WAS MEDIOCRE AT BEST,THE STARTERS ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PUREE OR SOMETHING ALWAYS LIGHT & ON SURF NIGHT IT HAD SOME OF THE TOUGHEST LOBSTER I HAD SEEN AND THE DESERT DIDNT HAVE ANY SLICES OF CAKE OR PIES SUCH MORE OF CREME BRULEE CUSTARDS MOOSES NOTHING REALLY SOLID THOUGH CHOPS GRILL IS GREAT PLACE TO DINE (25 DOLLARS PP) ABOUT 2 HOURS IN TIME TAKES A WHILE TO COOK STEAKS ALMOST SAME CHOICES AS MAIN DINING BUT BETTER QUALITY FOR EX SOUR DOUGH IS TOUGH AS BULL HIDE ON MAIN DINING BUT TENDER,WARM AND SLICED AT CHOPS GRILLED THOUGH THEY TOLD ME I COULDN'T HAVE 2 OF THE SAME APPETIZERS BUT I COULD HAVE 2 DIFFERENT ONES WEIRD AND I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED EVIAN WATER OR FOUNTAIN (AVOIDING THE USELES CHARGE I THOUGHT)SO I SAID FOUNTAIN HE THEN BRINGS PERRIER 9.00 WHICH I DISCOVER WHEN HE HANDS ME THE BILL GO FIGURE

TRIED A FORWARD INSIDE STATEROOM GOOD LOCATION DUE TO THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE PATH YOU TOOK BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT STRAIGHT FORWARD HALLWAYS THINK LIKE A LABYRINTH IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THE INNER CABINS BECAUSE THEY ARE PATHS WITHIN PATHS SO ITS EASY TO GET CONFUSED THE ROOM ITSELF IS SMALL SO TRY TO BRING 1 SUITCASE PP IF YOU HAVE 3 OR MORE YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE SPACE CLOSET IS BASICALLY USELESS GOT DRESSED FROM SUITCASE THEN THERE IS THE TV WHICH IS OFFSET FROM THE BED AND NOT CENTERED I THINK THIS IS DO TO HOW NARROW THE ROOM IS SO WHILE IN BED HAD TO LOOK TO THE LEFT WHICH GETS AWKWARD IF YOUR MATE SLEEPS ON THEIR SIDE AND YOU DONT THEN THERE'S THE BED WHICH IS NOT A BED ITS MORE OF A SLEEP CUSHION (I CHECKED) ON A SPRING AGAIN THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE ROOM IS SHAPED (ODD AND NOT BOXED) SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CUSTOM BED MADE SO THEY WENT WITH A CUSHION CANT SAY THIS FOR ALL THE ROOMS BUT MINE WAS. THE BATHROOM IS SMALL BUT MODERN LOOKING THE SHOWER LOOKS LIKE A TUBE FROM STAR TREK BUT I DID LIKE IT THERE IS A SHALLOW FACE BOWL ON THE WALL BUT IF YOU TURN ON THE WATER FULL THROTTLE THEN THE FLOOR GETS WET QUICK THE STEWARD ALONG WITH THE WHOLE CREW ON THIS SHIP IS EXTREMELY YOUNG THEY WORK WELL BUT DONT EXPECT THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE REMEMBERING YOUR NAME (BUT THE DO RECOGNIZE YOU) OR TOWEL ANIMALS 2 ON 7 NIGHT BUT ITS SMALL SO NO BIG DEAL THE IPOD DOC COMES IN HANDY ALSO TO GIVE THE ROOM A YOUR KIND OF TOUCH GOOD SOUNDPROOFING AS WELL NEVER HEARD ANY OF THE SHOW S IN THE ROOM

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO THAT YOU WILL BE OVERWHELMED AS TO WHAT TO PARTAKE IN YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND ALL SO THIS IS WHERE STRATEGY COMES IN FIRST PRE-BOOK ALL THE MAIN ACTIVITIES SHOWS COMEDY IF EVEN IF THEY CHANGE THE SHOW YOU ARE STILL BOOKED AS YOU CANT CALL GUEST SERVICES YOU HAVE TO GO STAND IN LINE (NO NOT WHILE ON VACATION WITH AS MANY AS 6000 PEOPLE ABOARD) OR TRY TO BOOK FROM TV (WHICH IS KIND OF QUIRKY ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOT TECH SAVY AND IF THE SYSTEM IS UP AND RUNNING) SO LOOK AT THE TOUCH SCREEN AT THE ELEVATOR AS YOUR NEWSLETTER MAY BE LATE (A FEW TIMES I RECEIVED THE LETTER AT THE END OF DAY WHEN DAY WAS OVER) TO SEE WHEN TIMES ARE THEY CHANGE ALOT ESPECIALLY WITH 3-D MOVIES AND I THINK THEY DO THIS TO DUE TO CROWD MOVEMENT TO KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING WHICH IS DONE REAL WELL ANOTHER TIP IS MAKE SURE YOU SHOW UP FOR RESERVED SHOWS 20 MINUTES EARLY AS THEY WILL ASSUME YOU ARE A NO SHOW AND WILL GIVE UP YOUR SEAT TO PEOPLE ON STANDBY WHICH THE LINE IS LONG THE SHOWS WERE EXCELLENT CHICAGO IS GREAT BUT LONG 90 MIN SO BE PREPARED MISSED THE AQUA SHOW BECAUSE THE DONT GIVE YOU ANY REMINDERS OF ALL THE SHOWS YOU PREBOOK YOU HAVE TO USE THE SYSTEM ON TV FIND OUT (IT TAKES SOME FIGURING OUT) DIDNT USE ON THE FIRST DAY TOO BUSY TRYING TO LOOK ALL OVER SO ALLOW A DAY TO GET A FEEL FOR THE SHIP THEN BOOK SHOWS

DIDNT DO ANY PAID EXCURSIONS JUST KIND OF WINGED IT ON MY OWN LABADEE WAS TRANQUIL AND RELAXING WATCHING THE ZIP LINE FROM OVER A MILE AWAY AND THE BEACHES WERE GREAT COSTA MAYA WAS OK BORING MAYBE MAYBE HAVE TO GO FURTHER IN AND COZUMEL IS A GREAT PLACE BUT THE POWER WENT OUT IN THE ARE SO THE PLACES ONLY TOOK CASH SO DIDNT DO MUCH SHOPPING ONLY LITTLE TRINKETS BUT IT WAS ALSO CROWDED AS PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO HUNT FOR BARGAINS

OVERALL LOVED THE SHIP AND ALL THAT IT REPRESENTS IT WILL TAKE SOME GETTING USE TO SO WILL BE BACK IN DEC TO SEE IT AGAIN TRAFFIC FLOWS SMOOTHLY ACROSS THE SHIP (THERE ARE 12 ELEVATORS AT THE FRONT AND 12 AT THE MIDDLE REAR) THE VENUES WERE NEVER OVERCROWDED FULL AT TIMES BUT THATS IT IT DOES TAKE SOME GETTING USE TO AS ALL THE FLOORS DONT PASS FROM FRONT TO BACK SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GO TO THE 5 FLOOR (IF YOU ARE AT THE FRONT) TO ACCESS THE MAIN FLOORS LIKE CENTRAL PARK THE PROMENADE AND THE BOARD WALK SO ONCE YOU GET THE LITTLE NUANCES OUT OF THE WAY ITS A GREAT SHIP JUST REMEMBER TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY ALL AROUND YOU AND YOU CAN HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS I DID (TRY TO PREBOOK AND PREPAY FOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OTHERWISE THEY WILL NICKEL AND DIME YOU TO DEATH LOL)